18 permits · verified 2026-09-30
What permits do you need to open a coffee shop in Salt Lake County?
In short
A coffee shop in Salt Lake County, UT has 6 permits that apply to every business of this type, plus 12 more that depend on your premises, signage or how you are set up. Greater Salt Lake Municipal Services District, Planning & Development Services charges $150 a year (12-month license term) for the general business license — home-based, with on-site visitors or customers. 7 of the 18 are charged as a range or formula rather than a flat fee. Verified 2026-09-30 against the issuing agencies’ published fee schedules.
Permits particular to a coffee shop in Salt Lake County
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seasonal Business Licenseonly if it applies to you | Greater Salt Lake Municipal Services District, Planning & Development Services | $120 flat, for a season of 60 days or fewer per year | up to 60 days per year | 2026-09-30 |
| Alcohol License/Permit — Local Consent Feeonly if it applies to you | Greater Salt Lake Municipal Services District, Planning & Development Services | Off-Premise Beer Retailer $250.00; Recreational On-Premise Beer Retailer $350.00; Restaurant Liquor $500.00; Limited Restaurant Liquor $500.00; Beer-Only Restaurant $350.00; On-Premise Beer Tavern $350.00; Resort $500.00; Club Liquor $600.00; Banquet and Catering $500.00; Single Event $150.00; Wholesale Beer $300.00; Manufacturing $350.00 — per the FY2027 Fee Schedule for Salt Lake County, adopted and effective September 22, 2026. | not stated in the published fee schedule | 2026-09-30 |
| Food Establishment Permit | Salt Lake County Health Department | $275–$770 a year, by risk category, per the SLCoHD fee schedule published September 1, 2026: Risk 1 $275.00; Risk 2 $405.00; Risk 3 $555.00; Risk 4 $770.00 | annual | 2026-09-30 |
| Mobile Food / Food Cart Permit | Salt Lake County Health Department | $230–$500 a year, per unit, per the SLCoHD fee schedule published September 1, 2026: Food Truck Tier 1 $350.00, Tier 2 $500.00; Food Cart Risk 1 $230.00, Risk 2 $275.00, Risk 3 $385.00 | annual | 2026-09-30 |
| Food Handler Card | Utah Department of Agriculture and Food, Regulatory Services Division | Food handler permit fee of no more than $15, uniform statewide, paid to the local health department under rule R392-103; the approved training provider may also charge its own reasonable training fee, and may collect both at once | 3 years, valid statewide (rule R392-103) | 2026-09-04 |
| Food Service Establishment Permit (local, not state) | Utah Department of Agriculture and Food, Regulatory Services Division | No fee | set locally | 2026-09-04 |
Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.
Local permits that apply to every type of business in Salt Lake County
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Business License — Home-Based, With On-Site Visitors or Customersonly if it applies to you | Greater Salt Lake Municipal Services District, Planning & Development Services | $150 a year (12-month license term) | 12 months | 2026-09-30 |
| Building Permitonly if it applies to you | Greater Salt Lake Municipal Services District, Planning & Development Services | Varies — formula on the Salt Lake County page | one-time, per permit | 2026-09-30 |
| Plan Check Feeonly if it applies to you | Greater Salt Lake Municipal Services District, Planning & Development Services | Varies — formula on the Salt Lake County page | one-time, per project | 2026-09-30 |
| Site Plan Reviewonly if it applies to you | Greater Salt Lake Municipal Services District, Planning & Development Services | Varies — formula on the Salt Lake County page | one-time, per application | 2026-09-30 |
| General Business License — Commercial Location | Greater Salt Lake Municipal Services District, Planning & Development Services | $150 a year (12-month license term) | 12 months | 2026-09-30 |
| General Business License — Home-Based, No On-Site Visitors or Customersonly if it applies to you | Greater Salt Lake Municipal Services District, Planning & Development Services | No fee | 12 months | 2026-09-30 |
| General Business License — Per-Employee Feeonly if it applies to you | Greater Salt Lake Municipal Services District, Planning & Development Services | $6 per employee, billed alongside the base license fee | coincides with the 12-month business-license term | 2026-09-30 |
Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.
UT registrations that apply to every type of business
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sales and Use Tax License | Utah State Tax Commission | No fee | ongoing — no fixed expiration, with a filing frequency the state assigns and can revisit | 2026-09-04 |
| Articles of Incorporationonly if it applies to you | Utah Division of Corporations and Commercial Code | $59 one-time filing | perpetual, but a renewal is due every year | 2026-09-04 |
| Certificate of Organization (LLC)only if it applies to you | Utah Division of Corporations and Commercial Code | $59 one-time filing | perpetual, but a renewal is due every year | 2026-09-04 |
| General Business License — Utah State Position (Entity Registration)only if it applies to you | Utah Division of Corporations and Commercial Code | No fee | set by the city or county | 2026-09-04 |
| Annual Renewalonly if it applies to you | Utah Division of Corporations and Commercial Code | $18 a year; a late renewal adds $10 | annual — due in the calendar month tied to the entity's own formation anniversary | 2026-09-04 |
Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.
How much does it actually cost to permit a coffee shop in Salt Lake County?
There is no single figure, and any site quoting one is rounding away the part that matters. Of the 18 records listed for a coffee shop in Salt Lake County, UT, 6 apply to every business of this type and 12 are conditional. Adding every fee on the page together would overstate what most operators pay, because it would include permits they never need.
Of the 6 that always apply, 1 carry a flat fee, coming to $150.00. That is a floor, not a total. 7 of the 18 are charged as a range or a formula set by the issuing agency, and 4 have no fee published at all. The ones particular to this business that vary:
Alcohol License/Permit — Local Consent Fee: Off-Premise Beer Retailer $250.00; Recreational On-Premise Beer Retailer $350.00; Restaurant Liquor $500.00; Limited Restaurant Liquor $500.00; Beer-Only Restaurant $350.00; On-Premise Beer Tavern $350.00; Resort $500.00; Club Liquor $600.00; Banquet and Catering $500.00; Single Event $150.00; Wholesale Beer $300.00; Manufacturing $350.00 — per the FY2027 Fee Schedule for Salt Lake County, adopted and effective September 22, 2026.
Food Establishment Permit: $275–$770 a year, by risk category, per the SLCoHD fee schedule published September 1, 2026: Risk 1 $275.00; Risk 2 $405.00; Risk 3 $555.00; Risk 4 $770.00
Mobile Food / Food Cart Permit: $230–$500 a year, per unit, per the SLCoHD fee schedule published September 1, 2026: Food Truck Tier 1 $350.00, Tier 2 $500.00; Food Cart Risk 1 $230.00, Risk 2 $275.00, Risk 3 $385.00
Food Handler Card: Food handler permit fee of no more than $15, uniform statewide, paid to the local health department under rule R392-103; the approved training provider may also charge its own reasonable training fee, and may collect both at once
The other 3 variable fees belong to permits that apply to every type of business here; their formulas are set out on the Salt Lake County permits page and the UT state page.
Which offices issue these permits in Salt Lake County?
Permits for a coffee shop in Salt Lake County, UT come from 5 separate offices: Greater Salt Lake Municipal Services District, Planning & Development Services, Salt Lake County Health Department, Utah State Tax Commission, Utah Department of Agriculture and Food, Regulatory Services Division, Utah Division of Corporations and Commercial Code. No single office issues them all, which is why an opening means filing in several places rather than one.
- Greater Salt Lake Municipal Services District, Planning & Development ServicesIssues 9 permits on this page, including General Business License — Home-Based, With On-Site Visitors or Customers, Seasonal Business License, Alcohol License/Permit — Local Consent Fee860 W. Levoy Dr., Suite 300, Taylorsville, UT 84123 · (385) 910-5600 (Main); (385) 468-6700 (business license and planning questions)msd.utah.gov/439/Starting-a-Business
- Salt Lake County Health DepartmentIssues 2 permits on this page: Food Establishment Permit, Mobile Food / Food Cart Permitwww.saltlakecounty.gov/health
- Utah State Tax CommissionIssues 1 permit on this page: Sales and Use Tax License210 North 1950 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84134 · (801) 297-2200tax.utah.gov
- Utah Department of Agriculture and Food, Regulatory Services DivisionIssues 2 permits on this page: Food Handler Card, Food Service Establishment Permit (local, not state)4315 South 2700 West, Taylorsville, UT 84129 · (385) 332-1499ag.utah.gov/regulatory-services/retail-food-regulatory-program
- Utah Division of Corporations and Commercial CodeIssues 4 permits on this page: Articles of Incorporation, Certificate of Organization (LLC), General Business License — Utah State Position (Entity Registration), Annual Renewal160 East 300 South, Salt Lake City, UT 84111 · (801) 530-4849corporations.utah.gov
What does a coffee shop need in Salt Lake County that other businesses do not?
Food Establishment Permit
Any restaurant or coffee shop anywhere in Salt Lake County needs this annual permit from the Salt Lake County Health Department, priced from $275.00 to $770.00 by risk category (Risk 1 through Risk 4), per the SLCoHD fee schedule published September 1, 2026. SLCoHD's coverage is genuinely county-wide — all 23 incorporated municipalities plus the unincorporated area, no exceptions — under Utah Code §26A-1-103, the current statute requiring every Utah county to maintain a health department serving 'all incorporated and unincorporated areas in the county.' A business inside an incorporated municipality also needs that city's own separate business license; this SLCoHD permit does not substitute for it.
Shared with other businesses in Salt Lake County
- Seasonal Business License — Greater Salt Lake Municipal Services District, Planning & Development Services, $120 flat, for a season of 60 days or fewer per year, up to 60 days per year. Also required for restaurants, food trucks and retail stores; what it involves is set out on the retail stores page.
- Alcohol License/Permit — Local Consent Fee — Greater Salt Lake Municipal Services District, Planning & Development Services, Off-Premise Beer Retailer $250.00; Recreational On-Premise Beer Retailer $350.00; Restaurant Liquor $500.00; Limited Restaurant Liquor $500.00; Beer-Only Restaurant $350.00; On-Premise Beer Tavern $350.00; Resort $500.00; Club Liquor $600.00; Banquet and Catering $500.00; Single Event $150.00; Wholesale Beer $300.00; Manufacturing $350.00 — per the FY2027 Fee Schedule for Salt Lake County, adopted and effective September 22, 2026., not stated in the published fee schedule. Also required for restaurants, retail stores and food trucks; what it involves is set out on the restaurants page.
- Mobile Food / Food Cart Permit — Salt Lake County Health Department, $230–$500 a year, per unit, per the SLCoHD fee schedule published September 1, 2026: Food Truck Tier 1 $350.00, Tier 2 $500.00; Food Cart Risk 1 $230.00, Risk 2 $275.00, Risk 3 $385.00, annual. Also required for food trucks; what it involves is set out on the food trucks page.
- Food Handler Card — Utah Department of Agriculture and Food, Regulatory Services Division, Food handler permit fee of no more than $15, uniform statewide, paid to the local health department under rule R392-103; the approved training provider may also charge its own reasonable training fee, and may collect both at once, 3 years, valid statewide (rule R392-103). Also required for restaurants and food trucks; what it involves is set out on the restaurants page.
- Food Service Establishment Permit (local, not state) — Utah Department of Agriculture and Food, Regulatory Services Division, No fee, set locally. Also required for restaurants and food trucks; what it involves is set out on the food trucks page.
The other 7 local permits in the tables apply to every type of business in Salt Lake County, UT; what each one involves is set out on the Salt Lake County permits page. The 5 state-level registrations apply to every type of business across UT and are covered on the UT state page.
How does a coffee shop compare with other businesses in Salt Lake County?
The closest match is a food truck, which shares 5 of these permits. A coffee shop also needs Food Establishment Permit. A food truck needs HACCP Food Process Plan Review, Simple Land Use Permit and Temporary Food Establishment Permit, which a coffee shop does not.
| Business | Its own permits | Shared with a coffee shop | Only a coffee shop needs | Only it needs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Food trucks | 8 | 5 | 1 | 3 |
| Restaurants | 8 | 5 | 1 | 3 |
| Retail stores | 6 | 2 | 4 | 4 |
| Auto repair shops | 3 | 0 | 6 | 3 |
| Childcare centres | 3 | 0 | 6 | 3 |
| Contractors and trades | 4 | 0 | 6 | 4 |
| Fitness studios | 2 | 0 | 6 | 2 |
| Salons and barbers | 7 | 0 | 6 | 7 |
| Veterinary clinics | 3 | 0 | 6 | 3 |
Sources
Every figure for the permits explained on this page was read from one of these government pages on the date shown. Sources for the permits shared with other businesses are listed with their explanations on the retail stores page, restaurants page and food trucks page. Sources for the permits that apply to every type of business are listed on the Salt Lake County permits page and the UT state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.
- Salt Lake County Health Department Fee Schedule, published September 1, 2026Salt Lake County Health Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-30
- Utah Code §26A-1-103, County health departments (current text: every county must create and maintain a health department serving all incorporated and unincorporated areas)Utah State Legislature · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-30
Related
Commercial Compliance Hub publishes information, not legal advice. Requirements change — confirm anything you rely on with the issuing agency before you file.